19 October 2012
BAGHDAD: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday that he understands the decision taken by the Iraqi authorities to block the entry of Turkish pilgrims who did not get visas to enter the country, noting that his country is making contacts with the Iraqi authorities to solve the problem.
He held Turkish travel agencies responsible for not getting the required visas from the Iraqi embassy in Ankara.
Iraq on Thursday refused to allow more than 120 Turkish buses to cross into Saudi Arabia, apparently loaded with Mecca pilgrims, because the passengers did not have visas issued by Baghdad.
"The government has decided to turn back 128 Turkish buses because they entered (Iraq) without following the procedures in force," Ali al-Moussawi, an adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.
He said the vehicles had been stopped in preparation for their return to Turkey, without giving the number of passengers.
They entered the country through a border post in the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq and were to have entered Saudi Arabia through the Arar post in the southwest of the country.
But the buses were not allowed through Arar because the passengers' visas had been issued by Kurdish regional authorities and not the central government, other officials said.
BAGHDAD: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday that he understands the decision taken by the Iraqi authorities to block the entry of Turkish pilgrims who did not get visas to enter the country, noting that his country is making contacts with the Iraqi authorities to solve the problem.
He held Turkish travel agencies responsible for not getting the required visas from the Iraqi embassy in Ankara.
Iraq on Thursday refused to allow more than 120 Turkish buses to cross into Saudi Arabia, apparently loaded with Mecca pilgrims, because the passengers did not have visas issued by Baghdad.
"The government has decided to turn back 128 Turkish buses because they entered (Iraq) without following the procedures in force," Ali al-Moussawi, an adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.
He said the vehicles had been stopped in preparation for their return to Turkey, without giving the number of passengers.
They entered the country through a border post in the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq and were to have entered Saudi Arabia through the Arar post in the southwest of the country.
But the buses were not allowed through Arar because the passengers' visas had been issued by Kurdish regional authorities and not the central government, other officials said.
© Aswat Aliraq 2012
